Danger Zone
by ELSchaaf
Summary: This will, in some ways, be a Top Gun parallel. Logan is home. He's booking flight time and avoiding paperwork. Veronica is working cases. Then Logan's wingman hears something that could cause all hell to break loose. Logan asks Veronica to dig into it and suddenly, everyone involved is flying through the danger zone.
1. Chapter 1

The wait was over. He'd returned from overseas unharmed and things were slowly going back to normal. Or at least as normal as they ever were between the two of them. Veronica was working on cases. Logan was booking flight hours and avoiding his required paperwork as much as possible.

When he'd first arrived back, she'd discovered that he owned a condo down in San Diego, just a few blocks from the base. She found out because he'd taken her there after they nearly ripped each other's clothes off in his car. They'd been so preoccupied with each other that Veronica didn't even get a good look at the place till the next morning and then it was more because she was looking for a bathroom and food than anything else.

In fact, other than taking care of those particular necessities, it was a good three days before they really surfaced again and started discussing the necessity of re-engaging with the real world.

Since then they'd settled into more or less of a routine. The nights that he couldn't make it back to Neptune, she'd drive into San Diego and stay at his place. The nights that she had stakeouts or other work-related business to attend to, he would go with her when he could and then stay over at her apartment in Neptune.

They were as close to attached at the hip as possible while still maintaining separate lives. It was, in fact, rare that they were unable to find some way to spend the night together. Yet they hadn't remotely begun to define their relationship and Veronica would never admit that they were essentially living together.

Of course, Logan's wingman - who Veronica only knew as '_Ducky' _- reportedly teased him about their relationship constantly. He had apparently seen enough of single Logan's exploits over the years to have provided his call sign: '_Rogue'_. However, in spite of having lived through Logan's relationship with Carrie, Ducky was now calling Logan 'whipped' and was saying that they may soon need to re-name him.

Even after hearing one story after another about Rogue and Ducky's adventures, Veronica was still both surprised and apprehensive when Logan told her that he wanted to invite his comrade-in-arms over for dinner. She was even more shocked and amazed when she learned that Ducky wouldn't be coming alone. He'd be bringing his wife and four-year-old son, a boy who - Logan informed her - was the reason for his father's call sign.

Veronica found it very tempting to try to be too busy with a case to become a part of Logan's work life. That felt far too intimate. In the end, though, he'd given her his basset hound eyes and she'd caved. Now, as they waited for their guests to arrive, she had a gut feeling that she'd somehow come to regret that weakness before the end of the evening.

Veronica sighed, bit her lower lip, and looked anxiously at Logan where he was setting the table and prepping his grilling utensils. "Why did I agree to this again?"

Logan grinned at her over his left shoulder and said cheekily, "Because you can't say no to my irresistible charms."

"Mmm, nope. Can't be that," Veronica snarked back with narrowed, twinkling eyes. She rose from her seat on his sofa and came over to wrap her arms around him from behind.

He turned obligingly and pulled her close, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before swiping several loose strands of blonde hair back behind her ear. Then he kissed her temple and murmured reassuringly in her ear, "It'll be fine. You'll see."

She was about to argue with him about that point but the doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts.

Excitedly, Logan cupped her face in his hands and kissed the tip of her nose. "They're here!"

Veronica groaned but followed reluctantly behind him, making herself pretty well invisible while also more or less using him as a human shield.

When the door opened, there was immediately a flurry of activity. Logan was first pulled into what equated to a half-hug and half-headlock by a seriously hot guy with dark hair, dancing eyes, dimples, and just enough scruff to make Veronica's mouth start to water. Then he was being pulled into a warm embrace by an equally attractive woman who was also just cute as a button.

The woman's dark, wavy hair framed her radiant face. Her smile and dimples drew attention to her adorable smattering of freckles. Veronica was about to analyze the apparent perfection of the pairing when she was suddenly faced with a set of inquisitive dark chocolate brown eyes.

"Hi," stated the owner of said eyes, his little head tilting to one side to study her. "I'm Maddox. Tha's my Mommy an' Ducky. Who're you?"

Unable to help herself, Veronica smiled down at the little boy and held out her hand, "I'm Veronica. Your Mommy and Ducky, huh?" She grinned and caught Logan's eye, communicating silently that she now 'got' the joke of his buddy's call sign. Then she looked back at the child and asked seriously, "Well, I'm pretty sure they're not MY Mommy and Ducky so do you have any idea what I'm supposed to call them?"

The preschooler nodded enthusiastically, showing off the dimples he'd inherited from both parents, and said proudly, "Mommy's real name's Gabby an' Ducky's real name's Nick."

Veronica straightened and took a deep breath before she turned with a smile to the owners of those names. Before she could say anything, however, Logan's arm came down around her shoulders and he said, "Nick, Gabby, meet Veronica Mars. Veronica, Nick and Gabby Dalton."

There was a tug at Logan's leg that made him and Veronica both look down. It also caused Logan to reach down and scoop up the little boy before pulling Veronica against his side again. "Right, and you've already met the most important family member, Mr. Maddox Dalton, namer of the Duck-man."

"Tha's me," Maddox added in with his little chest puffed up with pride.

Nick shook Veronica's hand and gave her a friendly grin. "Nice to see that you're actually real. The way the rogue stallion here was going on and on about you, I figured he'd finally gone off the deep end."

Amused, Veronica lifted a brow at Logan as if to say, '_Rogue stallion, huh?' _Then she laughed and said, "Oh I'm real all right but that doesn't mean he didn't go off the deep end."

Logan flinched playfully as if she'd injured him and Nick clapped his friend on the shoulder, "Oh, BURN! Yeah, I'm with you, Rogue. This one might just be a keeper."

The three boys went off in the direction of the grill, Logan tossing a wink and an encouraging smile over his shoulder. Then Veronica was left with no choice but to face the other female.

"Hi," she said awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other, "Sooo...I guess you already know that I'm Veronica. And you're...Gabby."

Gabby gave Veronica a compassionate and understanding smile that lit up her whole face. She pulled a stiff and surprised Veronica into a quick hug and said, "Yes, I am. Ignore them. They're boys and they're rude. They get together and all they do is act like big kids. You should see them when they fly."

Veronica's heart did a flip-flop. That was one thing she hadn't done yet. She hadn't seen Logan fly. The idea of it both scared and excited her to no end. "Please tell me that they're careful."

Moving into the room and making herself at home, Gabby chuckled and nodded. "Oh, they're careful all right. They're also cocky as hell. Think they're the best of the best. Always pretending they'll be the next pair selected to go to Top Gun."

The thought made Veronica burst into laughter. She shook her head and said, "Yeah, that definitely sounds like Logan. How in the world is there room in their cockpit for both of them AND their egos?"

"No idea," Gabby giggled in response.

Before Veronica had realized what Gabby was doing, she had put a wine glass filled with a sweet red in Veronica's hand and was reaching for one of her own. She then took a seat on one of the high-backed chairs at Logan's four-person table and motioned for Veronica to join her.

"Sooo," Gabby began as she swirled her wine and then took a sip, "Tell me something about you."

These were typically the types of conversation that Veronica hated. This time, though, she found that there was something in her that wanted to at least try to get to know this woman. She'd obviously been a friend to Logan while Veronica had been away but it was more than that. It was the thought that perhaps the next time Logan had to ship out for a tour of duty, she might just have someone with whom she could commiserate.

"Well...what's there to tell?" Veronica began, self-conscious and embarrassed. She bit her lower lip and found herself asking, "What has Logan already told you?"

Understanding lit the other woman's caramel-colored eyes and she said, "Mostly just that you're the love of his life and that you've been tormenting him in one way or another since he was twelve."

Veronica's blue eyes softened as did her smile. She shrugged and had to ask, "What more do you need to know than that?"

Gabby chuckled and searched Veronica's face. Then she became more serious and added, "He also said that you've helped each other through some pretty tough shit and that we have you to thank that he wasn't convicted of Carrie's murder."

"No thanks necessary," Veronica said, brushing off the gratitude that made her so uncomfortable, "Besides, it's not like I didn't benefit myself from clearing him."

Ignoring Veronica's lack of acceptance of her thanks, Gabby explained, "Nick and I were in Michigan for his grandfather's funeral during that whole ordeal. Not that I think we would have been able to help at all but I can imagine how alone Rogue felt before you got here."

Veronica couldn't meet Gabby's eyes. She cleared her throat and squirmed in her seat before asking, "How about those Padres?"

Laughing, Gabby shook her head, "I was told not to bother trying to thank you. Guess Rogue knows you pretty well, huh?"

Her blue eyes softening, Veronica couldn't help the smile that curled her lips up, "Only better than anyone."

"Should we go see what the boys are up to, then?" Gabby asked, finishing her wine and pouring some more.

"Sure," Veronica agreed with a grin, "Logan and a grill? I'm betting we'll see some comedy gold."

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"So, buddy," Nick said with a smirk once he and Logan were outside with Maddox, hanging around the covered picnic area near one of the gas grills, "Didn't you say she was the one who got away? Oh yeah, and made your life a living hell?"

"Got away, yes," Logan replied as he alternated between watching little Maddox and watching the steaks on the grill, "Made my life a living hell...welllll, that's open for interpretation."

"Right, 'cause only the love of your life could ever make you as truly miserable as that woman has made you," Nick scoffed, a mocking grin on his smug face.

"That's right," Logan grinned in response, waving his grilling tongs at his friend, "I told you. We're epic."

"Of course you are," Nick chuckled and shook his head. He eyed his son who had found a neighbor's dog to pet and then turned back to his friend, this time speaking more seriously, "Really, man. The last thing I need is for you to decide to put us into a tailspin or a nosedive over a girl. Especially if things between you have always been as volatile as you've said."

"Dude," Logan said, his eyes piercing sharply into Nick's, "Trust me. Having Veronica back in my life is a good thing. I won't be purposely making any stupid moves anytime soon."

"All right, then," Nick said, shaking his head, "If you say so."

"I do," Logan replied insistently, leaving no room for doubt.

The four-year-old Maddox had finished up with petting the neighbor's dog and was at a loss for what to do next. He moved to Logan's side and tugged at his pant leg. "Unca Rogue? You pway wiff me?"

Grinning down at the boy, Logan handed Nick the grilling utensils and said with a wink, "Here, take these. I've got a more important job to do here." Then, looking down at Maddox seriously, he asked, "You ready to go flying, kid?"

"YEAH!" Maddox whooped in delight.

Logan reached down, picked the boy up and flew him around the picnic area. He made as many fighter jet noises as he could muster and toppled himself and the giggling child into the grass after yelling, "Oh no! Crash and BURNNNN!" He then proceeded to tickle the boy mercilessly for the next several minutes.

When Veronica and Gabby exited the condo, this was the very first sight that they both encountered. Gabby immediately grinned indulgently and went to stand with Nick, wrapping her arms around him from behind. Veronica stopped short of the picnic area, mesmerized, and just watched with a faint smile on her lips.

Gabby must have seen the look on Veronica's face because she called out to her from near the grill, "What, you've never seen him acting like a kid before?"

"Not when he was WITH a kid," Veronica replied, her eyes glued to the vision of Logan flying little Maddox around.

She moved forward and caught Logan's twinkling gaze. He set Maddox on the ground and pulled Veronica into his arms, dancing her in a circle and murmuring in her ear, "You saw me with Heather once. And I told you about our video game Fridays."

"Yeah," she whispered back, "But you telling me about it and me actually seeing it are two very different things," she noted and then couldn't help but add, "I think I should probably find it alarming how much of a turn on watching you play with a kid is to me."

Logan smirked and kissed Veronica's cheek before saying softly against her ear, "I will definitely have to remember that. Does that mean we should plan for a kid of our own? Just to make sure you always stay as turned on as possible, of course."

Veronica shoved him away and laughed, "Ummm, NO. That is NOT a good reason to have a kid. Besides, what happens later when you have to explain their reason for being? I mean, seriously, 'Sorry, honey, but we had you 'cause I just couldn't resist your dad when he was acting like a kid with a friend's kid and he wanted to make sure I could never resist him.' Don't think that would go over very well."

Gabby caught parts of their conversation and smiled secretively before pulling Nick's arm so that his head lowered to where she could speak directly into his ear. "He's right. She's perfect for him. I've never seen him like this with anyone else." She watched a moment more before adding thoughtfully, "And he seems to bring something out in her as well."

"You think it'll last?" Nick asked as he watched Logan pick Maddox back up again only this time he had Veronica standing on his feet and attached at his waist saying he was a cargo plane.

"Oh yeah," Gabby said thoughtfully, her eyes still glued to the other couple, "I don't see him letting her get away again."

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Later that night, after Nick and Gabby had taken Maddox home, Logan and Veronica were snuggled in bed, reflecting on their evening with Logan's friends.

"You know, I almost chickened out of meeting them," Veronica admitted thoughtfully, her head resting on Logan's chest.

"Because you're you and it was going to mess up your neat little compartments for people?" Logan asked affectionately, kissing the top of her hair and ruffling her waves just a bit.

"Partly," Veronica acknowledged but then said thoughtfully, "Mostly I've just never seen a reason for it before, but since you've been hanging out with me, Mac, and Wallace more...I don't know…"

Understanding curled Logan's lips upward in a soft smile, "Whether you want to admit it or not, you want to be a part of my life as much as you've finally decided you want me to be a part of yours."

"Yeah, I guess that's it," Veronica agreed, lifting up to smile down at him and kiss his cheek, "It's just that, I was nervous. I wanted to run, find a case to work on or something. I mean, I'm kinda a lot better at making enemies than friends, you know?"

There were so many different directions that Logan could have gone with what she'd said but he chose to cup her face and kiss her thoroughly on the lips. "I know. It's actually one of the things I love most about you." He paused, searching her eyes before he asked, "You were afraid they wouldn't like you?"

She nodded, a bit of rare vulnerability showing in her deep blue eyes.

He kissed the tip of her nose, her forehead, and each eyelid before answering in full deadpan, "I can see the concern. I mean, if they're friends with ME, they MUST be all high class with impeccable morals and zero taste in beautiful women."

Laughing, Veronica gave him a shove, "Stop! You know what I mean."

"I do," Logan assured her, giving her another kiss, this time at the nape of her neck. "They just want me to be happy, V. They've seen me party, they've seen me play the field, they've seen me be a total jackass and somehow they still tolerate me. If they can handle all that, I'm sure they'll get used to you."

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Veronica and she faced him with a worried expression, "Do they know about our history?"

He kissed her nose again and confirmed with a nod, "They do. And while Nick may be a little wary, I got the feeling we have Gabby's full approval."

"We do?" Veronica asked in surprise. She'd felt so awkward with the woman all night that should could never quite figure out how to read her.

"Yes," Logan said with a satisfied smile, "We do."

"How could you tell?" Veronica insisted, not willing to accept his statement without a little proof.

Laughing, Logan bopped Veronica on the nose with his index finger. "Because, she was watching us all night. The look on her face was barely restrained glee which means I'm pretty sure she ships us," he explained wryly.

"She ships us?" Veronica asked with brows raised, "We're into TV terminology now? What happened to your love affair with the big screen?"

"We came to a mutual agreement that I could see other media outlets as well," Logan returned, dead serious.

Veronica chuckled and shook her head, tracing his jaw with her fingers lightly. "You're so full of it," she said fondly.

"I'm definitely full of something," Logan agreed before waggling his eyes and grinning, "Personally, I thought it was love for you."

"Charmer," Veronica accused with a laugh and a grin of her own.

"I've been called worse," Logan responded with a sly smile as he rested his head against the headboard, looking lazy and relaxed.

"Of course you have," Veronica retorted as she scrambled to straddle him and obtain the dominant position, "By me," she pointed out. Then she poked him in the chest with her index finger and added, "Jackass," before lowering her mouth to his and kissing him into submission.


	2. Chapter 2

Logan and Nick, or Rogue and Ducky, had agreed to meet the next morning in the locker room near the airfield where they could change into their flight gear and prep to log some air time. Logan was waiting, already suited up, and was watching the time as he whipped around the over-shirt he'd been wearing. He was bored. And restless. His nerves were starting to kick in as well.

In Officer Candidate School when they were roommates, both of them had trouble getting out of bed to get anywhere on time. When they were given their final warning, they came to an agreement that something had to change. It had been Gabby's idea that the two of them should make it into a competition. Whoever arrived last had to take a dare from the one who arrived first.

Logan grinned as he thought of it now. He and Nick had always been evenly matched. They went back and forth with their dares for two years. Whoever arrived late between them had to take a dare from the other. If they were both late, they each got a dare from Gabby. All three participants were imaginative and creative with their dares, often causing each other to be thoroughly embarrassed. Neither Nick nor Logan has ever late since.

Until now. '_Where is he?'_

It was another ten minutes later before Nick sprinted in the door. He looked tired and haggard and worried about something but when Logan asked about it, he brushed everything off.

"Late night, Maddox couldn't sleep, got caught in traffic, don't worry about it," came the flurry of excuses.

Still, something seemed off and the reasons Nick gave for his tardiness didn't sit quite right. Logan studied his friend with his trademark intense stare. Nick glared back, a challenge in his dark eyes until Logan dropped his over-shirt on the bench and lifted his hands in surrender.

"Fine. You wanna keep secrets? I'm game," he said, shoulder-checking his friend as he strode past. When he reached the door, he turned back with his typical jackass gleam, "Better hurry and get your gear on, Ducky. You're already late. The longer you linger about, the more time I have to think of your fate." Logan tapped his fingers together in an '_evil genius' _sort of way and waggled his eyebrows, giving a wicked grin.

His partner's antics caused Nick to laugh, loosen up, and shake his head. "Ever the rogue," he quipped dryly. "I'll be out in a second."

Logan turned on his heel and left with a little skip and a hop to his step. The comical combination almost looked like a pirouette.

"Cheeseball!" Nick called out after him.

Alone, Nick's smile faded and the tension he'd previously been radiating came back. He'd been running late already, sure, but not this late. The stress and worry were for entirely different reasons than the ones he'd given his friend. He quickly changed into his flight suit and checked his gear. Whatever it was he'd witnessed on the way in would have to wait. Regardless of what he'd seen, they had work to do.

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They'd practiced evasive maneuvers today. It took a lot of coordination between the two of them to get it right. What was even harder was to both evade and attack. Usually it was something that the pair excelled at. Today, though, it was barely even worked on. Logan didn't even try to get Nick to engage. It was rare but for whatever reason, his wingman, the weapons specialist, was seriously off his game.

Back in the locker room after they'd both had a shower, Logan scrubbed his hair dry with his secondary towel before snapping his wingman with it.

Nick yelped and whipped around with a glare before demanding, "What the hell was that for?!"

"Dude," Logan began with a smirk and held his hands up in surrender, "Think of it as my payback for you being so late this morning."

"Hey, I explained that," Nick protested, turning back around to sift through the contents of his locker, looking for his street clothes.

"Yeah?" Logan returned, a challenge in his voice, "And I don't buy it for a minute. Come on, Ducky. What the fuck happened? What's got you so spooked?"

Nick sobered and stilled. He turned around slowly, a shadow crossing his face before a mask of indifference fell into place. "Nothing. Drop it, ok?"

"No way, man. Not gonna happen." Logan was beside him in an instant, hand on his shoulder, giving him a hard stare right in the eye. "Something's going on and it's not the usual bullshit. You were distracted up there. Distracted means dead. Dead means I've gone some serious explaining to do."

Shaky hands went through Nick's hair, a nervous habit he shared with Logan. He let out a long, slow, deep breath, and closed his eyes a moment. When Nick met Logan's eyes, his own were tired and afraid. His voice was low as he leaned in and rested a hand on Logan's shoulder. His tone was urgent as he said, "I'm only telling you."

Over the next several minutes, Nick explained how he'd been running late that morning. All the parking spots closest to the locker room had been taken so he'd had to park a lot farther away than usual. To make up time, he had cut through a couple buildings. In doing so, though, he'd overheard a conversation among a few high-ranking officers that had given him the chills.

"It sounded like they were planning to sell intelligence to the Iranians," Nick finished.

Logan let a low whistle escape his lips along with a muttered, "Fuck." Then it was his turn to take Nick by the shoulders. He stared him at him long and hard. "How sure are you about this?"

"I don't know, man," Nick said doubtfully, "I'd like to say I misheard or made a mistake but their intentions seemed pretty damn clear."

"Do you know who the officers were?" Logan asked next.

"No," Nick shook his head in the negative, "A voice or two sounded familiar but I'm nowhere near sure."

"How many of them were there?" is the next question out of Logan's mouth.

"Not sure," Nick frowned, "Three? Maybe four?"

A look of intense focus and concentration furrowed Logan's brow. It was a mannerism that his companion knew well and had learned to trust over time. Logan's quick wit, sharp intelligence, and keen instincts along with his hard-earned survival skills had served them well on more than one occasion.

When their eyes met again, Nick's countenance was alert and expectant, almost eager. "You've thought of something. What is it?"

Logan pursed his lips into a thin, humorless smile. There was a gravity and determination in his eyes but also a faint light of droll irony. "We bring this to Veronica."

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Nick had argued but Logan had insisted. Without knowing who was involved or if Nick had really heard what he thought he had heard, they had no other options. Not unless they were going to leave it alone, walk away, and forget about it. But that was not and never would be Logan's style. If there were officers who were willingly selling intelligence to Iran, it was not only treason, it was dangerous.

Logan liked danger but only of his own making. This shit could get them killed. Or worse. No, if this was really happening, those responsible would pay. Logan would make sure of it. And Veronica would help him. If she could find the evidence, figure out who was involved, he'd take the intel straight to the top.

He glanced at Nick as they drove together, the top down on the midnight blue BMW. He was worried about his friend. Nick had Gabby and Maddox to think about. This was the last thing that Ducky needed.

"Hey," he said, catching Nick's eye when they were stopped at a traffic light. "You don't have to do this. We can turn around and I can take you back to your car. You can pretend you never saw or heard anything."

Nick's eyes were sharp and knowing. He shook his head and said firmly, "No way. I know you won't leave it alone. I won't either. Whatever happens, we're in it together."

Logan nodded, looking back at the road. He was satisfied, for now, but concern for his friend's wife and son continued. '_I'll just have to make sure he keeps his ass alive, undamaged. Same as I always have.' _

But this felt different. There was somehow more at stake. Then it dawned on him what was bothering him most. If something went wrong, these officers wouldn't just go after the two of them. They'd go after their families as well. Gabby. Maddox. '_Veronica.'_ Maybe bringing this to her wasn't such a good idea after all.

Veronica tended to get herself into trouble no matter what. He'd have to keep an eye on her. Be extra careful. It would take some finagling and some definite finessing of his schedule but he was pretty sure that if he timed things just right, he could manage to pull double duty. Book his flight hours, get his paperwork done, and keep Veronica company on any particularly dangerous stakeouts.

He glanced at his silent companion again. He frowned. Triple duty, on the other hand, was just not going to happen. Logan broke the silence as they pulled up beside the office of Mars Investigations. "Dude. If things get ugly, if this is for real, you're gonna have to find a way to protect your family."

The grim look in Nick's eyes told Logan that this was something that his friend already knew. He nodded and said, "Yeah. I've got some thoughts on that."

Logan was relieved. He'd been pretty sure his buddy, his comrade-in-arms, would think of that. But it was definitely nice to hear. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Will do," Nick affirmed.

They sat in the vehicle for another few moments, both lost in their thoughts, the situation completely surreal. Then Logan reached for the handle, opened the door, and turned to his friend with a single raised brow. "Ready?"

Nick pushed open his own door, giving Logan a slight nod before saying, "Ready."


	3. Chapter 3

They entered the musty and dimly lit Mars Investigations office and noted that neither of the business's namesakes seemed to be around.

Nick moved towards the old, beat up couch while Logan turned to the outer desk and gave Mac a tight smile.

Mac, for her part, appeared more than a little surprised to see her best friend's boyfriend. She immediately raised both brows and began with a sarcastic remark, "Not out pretending to be in the 'Danger Zone' today? I totally thought you would have been busy putting Tom Cruise to shame."

Logan smirked appreciatively and responded with a gesture toward Nick, "Mac, meet Ducky. He's my Goose."

Unable to help herself, Mac's eyes lit up and she snickered. It was the first she'd heard of either Logan or his wingman's call signs. "Sooo," she began, a glint of humor and intelligence in her dark eyes, "What does that make you? Scoundrel? Scalawag?"

Having overheard the conversation, Nick came over from the couch and grinned. "We call him Rogue. Broke the hearts of half the girls we attended OCS with."

Seeing the question in her eyes, Logan responded, "Officer Candidate School. And I did not!" he added with a scowl before he mumbled in resignation, "Just the heart of your wife's roommate."

Mac coughed into her hand, trying to hide her laugh. It didn't work very well because Logan gave her a glare before he retorted to his friend, "At least it wasn't Penny Benjamin!"

"Who?" Mac asked before the boys could get further into it.

In the time since the conversation had begun, the office door had opened and closed. In the entryway stood Veronica, an amused expression on her face and her arms crossed over her chest. "The Admiral's daughter. On Top Gun. In the movie, Maverick banged her."

Logan turned, all his worry seemed to be forgotten. He crossed the room and pulled her close, then planted an affectionate kiss on her forehead. When he spoke, his eyes gleamed with humor and appreciation, "Don't worry, honey buns. The Admiral's daughter could never compare to you."

"That's because she's 11-years-old," Nick interrupted them dryly.

Veronica laughed and shoved Logan away before she asked, "What is it you want, dufus?"

He sobered immediately and looked back at Nick. Nick, too, had instantly become edgy and serious. "Can we talk in your office?" he asked in a low and urgent tone.

She nodded without hesitation, then looked at Mac over his shoulder and said, "Hold all my calls."

Keith must have been either out on a case, at a doctor's appointment, or gone for the day. There was no sign of him.

Still, Logan had to check, "Your dad's not around?"

"No, he won't be back today. He was tracking a bail jumper and had some errands," Veronica replied. Then, once they were all settled with her behind the desk, Logan seated on its edge, and Nick across the room in a visitor's chair, she said, "Ok, spill."

Logan barely spared Nick a glance before he responded, "Nick overheard a conversation today that, if accurate, could get us all killed."

Veronica's eyes widened and she took in a sharp breath. She glanced around her boyfriend to his friend and then back before she said, "Well. That's quite the opener. Care to share the details, lover?"

She was trying to keep it cool and light but Logan knew it was just an act. Soberly, his piercing gaze holding hers, he explained, "He was running late. Took a detour. And heard some stuff. Nasty stuff. Stuff that, if accurate, means we have some officers on base who are fucking despicable traitors."

Veronica's brows furrowed, a question in her eyes as they unwaveringly held his. "Do I want to know? And why aren't you taking this to your superior officers or, hell, the Feds?"

It was Nick's turn to answer. From over Logan's shoulder, she heard, "Because I have no proof. I could be completely mistaken about what I heard."

"And what did you hear?" Veronica demanded, looking around Logan in order to see Nick, "And how easy would it be for you to have misinterpreted it?"

Nick looked uncomfortable. He squirmed in his seat until he finally pushed it back so he could stand. He ran his hand nervously through his hair much like Logan often did and said, "I heard three, maybe four officers and they were talking about selling intelligence to Iran."

The information hit Veronica hard. She sat down heavily in her seat while Nick joined them at her desk. He leaned on it with both hands, his head hanging low. Then he said in a hushed tone, "If I go forward and I'm wrong, my career is ruined. If I'm right and I talk but it's to the wrong person, I'm dead."

"I see your predicament," Veronica responded, her mind already in overdrive. "Did you see any of them? Recognize their voices?"

Nick shook his head in the negative before she looked solemnly at Logan. "What is it that you're asking me to do?"

"Investigate," Logan replied immediately, "Come hang out at the bars and dives where the officers relax and pick up women."

There was a spark of recognition and humor in her eyes and he couldn't help but smile knowingly in spite of himself, "Don't get any ideas, smartypants. On that one, I'd be going with you. Or at least meeting you at the end of my shift." Then Logan sobered again and added, "There are activities, meet-n-greets and stuff for the girlfriends and wives of officers. You and Gabby could attend. That might be an in."

"And why didn't I know about these things before, smart ass?" Veronica demanded, a put out and indignant note to her tone.

Logan smirked in response and said smugly, "Because my bobcat is not a joiner. Why was I gonna waste my breath?"

Reluctantly, she muttered, "Good point," then she was all business again and looked over at Nick with a nod, "All right. I'll take your case and see what I can do. Is there any other information you can give me? Anything else I should know?"

Nick pondered that for a few moments and then shook his head regretfully, "No. If I think of anything, though, I'll let you know."

Veronica nodded and pushed back from her seat so she could stand and escort them to the door. "You do that," she said, putting her hand on Logan's arm, signaling him to stay back a minute. Then she said, "Nick, I know Logan has your details but can you give your information to Mac at the desk so that I have them as well? It would be much appreciated."

After Nick nodded, Veronica pulled Logan back into the office and swung the door partially closed. She looked up at him anxiously and with disbelief in her eyes as she asked in a whisper, "What the hell have you gotten yourself into?!"

Logan framed her face lovingly with his hands and touched her forehead with his, holding her eyes adoringly, "I have no idea, Bobcat. But if anyone can figure it out, it's you."

"Logan, you realize this may even be over my head, don't you?" Veronica asked with concern, the worry clear in her deep blue eyes.

"If it is and you know it, just tell me," Logan responded immediately, "I'll help in any way that I can."

"I may still have a contact or two at the FBI from my internship. I'll try to get in touch, see if there have been any rumors, anything they're already investigating. If they'll even talk to me," Veronica stated thoughtfully.

"Hey," Logan said as he tipped her face upward so that he could kiss her nose, "I have faith in you. You know I do. And I'm in this with you so don't shut me out."

She started to protest but he stopped her, "I know you've gotten better. Believe me, I know." He looked away a moment and blew out a breath. The expression on his face was all too familiar. Full of the weight of the world, his responsibilities, and stress. "Just...I hate that I have to ask you to do this but you know you're the only one that I trust. Don't go getting in over your head, ok? If it starts to get too deep, get out."

Veronica bit her lower lip and looked up into his dark, chocolate brown eyes. She sighed and gathered her thoughts a moment before she said, "I'll try. That's the best that I can do. You know once I start digging, though, you'll be hard pressed to get me to stop."

"I know," he acknowledged, then brushed a few stray hairs behind her ear. His lips curled into a crooked half-smile as he explained, "Your dad is scary enough as it is. If this goes sour, he may never forgive me. Then where would we be?"

"Right where we are now," Veronica reassured him. She stood on tiptoe and kissed his chin. "You know my dad doesn't make decisions for me."

He smiled sincerely and gratefully took her in his arms for a warm hug. "Thank you," he murmured against her ear, "I couldn't let Ducky deal with this without you."

She chuckled softly and squeezed him back before saying affectionately, "Softy."

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Once they were gone, Veronica went to the outer desk to speak to Mac. Mac, for her part, was waiting expectantly, her blue eyes sharp and curious.

"What's up, Bond?" Mac asked casually.

"We've got a case," Veronica replied seriously, "A big one. I'm not quite sure that we're up for it."

"Hit me with it," Mac responded gamely, her entire body humming with anticipation.

"I mean it, Q. This may be beyond even you," Veronica warned as she took a seat on the corner of Mac's desk and sighed. She looked out the old, industrial window and said, "It may involve treason."

"Treason?" Mac's brows shot up and her next words were out before she could even consider filtering them, "Which one of them? Or both?"

This made Veronica laugh. She turned to her friend and said wryly, "Neither. Surprisingly. Nick overheard some officers talking. He thinks they were conspiring to sell intelligence to Iran."

The sharp intake of breath from Mac spoke volumes. She turned the information over in her head as she said, "You mean Ducky?" then apologized when Veronica gave her a 'look', "Sorry. After finding out that they're Rogue and Ducky, I'll never remember the name Nick."

Veronica rolled her eyes but then nodded, "Yeah. Ducky. Who has a wife and kid."

"Ouch. Somehow that makes the situation suck worse," Mac winced before asking, "What do you need me to do?"

"Get me a list of the officers on the roster at the San Diego base. And I do mean all of them, from right at the top all the way to the bottom. I need to know who all the possible culprits are," Veronica explained.

Mac typed notes for herself and nodded, then looked up and asked, "Anything else?"

"Yeah. Find out what you can about any bars, dives, restaurants, meeting places, or anywhere else that I may be able to find officers, their wives, or their girlfriends when they're off-duty," Veronica grimaced, then added, "Logan said there were support groups or something for the family and friends of the enlisted. Get me any information you can find on that shit as well."

Mac snickered as she imagined Veronica joining in on any of that. "You got it, Boss."

"Shut it, Q," Veronica snarled in warning.

"I didn't say anything!" Mac exclaimed with her hands raised and an innocent grin.

"Uh huh. Sure," Veronica responded doubtfully before adding in challenge, "Be careful or I may ask you to join me in the field."

"You wouldn't!" Mac said in mock horror.

"Try me," Veronica smirked with a satisfied glare.

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"You really think she'll be able to help?" Nick asked Logan doubtfully.

They were back in Logan's BMW, whizzing back down the PCH toward the naval base in San Diego.

"If anyone can, it'll be her," Logan said confidently.

"How can you seriously risk her like that, bro?" Nick asked, incredulous.

Logan knew exactly what Nick meant. He smirked and glanced over at his friend as he said, "She's always getting herself in shit. Trust me. She can handle it." 'I hope.'

"You are a braver man than I," Nick remarked, shaking his head in response, "I mean, it's not like this is an AWOL rap."

This caused Logan to laugh as he pictured Veronica as she'd been the morning he'd had to leave for their last deployment. She'd been proud and confident and had smugly told him that she'd gotten him off murder charges and could easily beat an AWOL rap.

"Yeah, man. I know," Logan responded with a smirk and an edge of pride all his own, "My girl is fierce."

"Fierce may not be enough," Nick mumbled doubtfully.

"Give her a chance," Logan insisted, "She'll rock your world. No innuendo intended."

"I hope you're not just being biased," Nick returned with a frown.

"Me? Biased?" Logan scoffed with a grin, "Never!"


	4. Chapter 4

Veronica was ready. Or at least she thought she was. Mac was still working on the list of base personnel but Veronica figured she could always cross-match the names with any information she picked up while she was out.

She'd had a busy day in the office and she was definitely not ready for the kumbaya family and friends of officers support group deal. Instead, she decided to start with some of the bars and dives '_down by the docks.'_

In what she felt was an amusing turn considering the events of the day, Logan had suggested that they watch Top Gun together while eating dinner the night before. With that bar scene in mind, Veronica found herself dressing like Kelly McGillis. She curled her hair, put on her shades, and decided her leather coat would have to double as a bomber jacket.

She snickered to herself as she looked in the mirror and wondered what Logan would say. He was still at the base himself but was to meet her sometime later. She pictured what would happen if she needed to break the ice. '_Maybe I should bring Mac as MY wingman.'_

"Hey Mac!" she called to her friend across the office, "Wanna make it a date?"

"Uhh, no can do, V-meister," Mac answered, "I kinda got a hot date of my own."

This little tidbit of information had Veronica peeking her head out of the office door. "A date? My little Mac is all grown up!" She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in thought. "Now tell me, who could this hot date be?"

"That," Mac said pointedly, "Is for ME to know and YOU not to make fun of. No way, Bond. I'm totally not telling you."

Immediately in interrogation mode, Veronica moved across the office and toward her friend, "Is it someone I know?"

"Maybe," Mac replied defensively, "It's a small town. I know you just got back but seriously, who DON'T you know?"

"Ohhh, you're stalling," Veronica grinned, "It must be someone that I know well."

Mac blushed and scowled. "Yes you know him well. Ok? Can we just drop it?"

Veronica holds up her hands, her brows lifted in amusement, "Fine, fine. But only because I have more pressing matters to keep me busy. This is a subject that we will broach again."

"Broach?" Mac laughed, "I know you like your vocabulary but I don't think that's one you used before you left."

"It's a technical term," Veronica stated with her lips curved upward in amusement, "I've expanded my horizons."

"So I see," Mac responded, attempting to look serious and professional but failing miserably.

"All right, Q. You're off the hook. Go and have a good time. Just remember, not all breath mints are the same," Veronica pointed both index fingers at Mac as if in warning, then spun on her heel and headed to the door.

"I'll remember that," Mac shook her head and laughed because there was really nothing else she could do.

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Veronica pulled into the parking lot of a dive bar called _IV Play_ and assessed the scene. Sailors and aviators alike were starting to make their way inside, joking around, pranking each other as they moved.

She got out of her car, a 2007 black and gold Sebring convertible that she'd picked up at auction not long before Logan got back from his deployment, and checked the time. 6:02pm. Things should start getting busy shortly.

With an air of professional confidence, Veronica made her way inside. Once inside the door, she took two steps to her right and stopped so she could take it all in. The bar was straight ahead of her with glasses hung high and mirrors on the wall and ceiling. Along the wall to her left was an old-time jukebox and high-top tables all around.

Unable to resist, she moved to the jukebox and checked it out. '_Yep,'_ she thought to herself with a little smirk, '_Every last song on the Top Gun soundtrack.'_

She moved to the end of the bar and took a seat. When asked for her order, she did as she'd done at the 09ER and got a plain Diet Coke. The man shrugged without question, filled a mug and slid it to her.

For a few minutes, she simply sat and sipped her drink, listening to the conversation around her while she tried to get her bearings. There was a cluster of of three off-duty naval officers chattering away on her right. Nothing she was hearing from them, though, sounded remotely significant. To the other side stood a couple who appeared to be recently reunited. '_Nope. Nothing there, either.' _

She listened and adjusted her location several times over the next hour but still she came up with nothing. So absorbed was she in what she was doing that it took her several lines into the verse to recognize the latest song on the jukebox. When she did, she turned slowly with a grin, fully expecting to see Logan standing behind her.

Disappointment filled her when he wasn't there. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder and spun around. There they were. Logan and Nick in their service whites, decked out with their aviators on, each with a microphone in hand. The corners of her lips twitched upward and her eyes began to sparkle.

"You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips," Logan sang. Badly. Completely off-key.

Veronica laughed, delighted.

"There's no tenderness anymore in your fingertips," Nick popped up in front of him and added.

Logan reached toward her and caressed her cheek lightly, "You're trying hard not to show it, but baby, you know it."

They leaned their shoulders together and each reached a hand towards her as they sang loudly with practically the whole bar watching them and joining in, "You've lost that loving feeling. Whoa, that loving feeling. You've lost that loving feeling. Now it's gone. Gone. Gone. Whoa."

Veronica couldn't contain herself. She loved it. She grabbed Logan's arm and dragged him closer. "Get over here, flyboy." Then, to cheers all around, she pulled his face down and kissed him. When she released him, she laughed. "You are utterly obnoxious."

"Yep," Logan agreed happily, "But you love me."

"I must be insane," Veronica teased affectionately.

"You'd have to be." His words were accompanied by a waggle of his eyebrows. Once they were no longer the center of attention, he leaned in conspiratorially and asked her, "So, anything so far?"

Nick found a place on the other side of them and waved over the bartender to request a rum and coke. Veronica glanced over at him before shaking her head in answer. "That's a negative. But then again, I'm still shooting in the dark. You see anyone here I should go pester?"

Logan frowned as he looked around before his eyes came to rest on Nick. "Hey, Duck-Man, anyone seeming familiar?"

"Not that I can tell," Nick replied, sipping his drink and turning his ear to catch anything significant from those around them, "I'll let you know if I do."

They hung around awhile at the bar but when Nick went off to mingle, Veronica found them a table. When they were alone, Logan took her hand across the table and lifted it to kiss her fingertips.

Veronica smiled and blushed, something she was always amazed to still be capable of. She cleared her throat and bit her lower lip before she asked, "Sooo...you ever come here with Dick? Somehow I can picture that Maverick and Goose routine going over better with him as your wingman."

A brief frown clouded Logan's face. He shook his head. "Nah. Dick doesn't like it here. He resents not having a uniform."

Something in the way he said it made Veronica search his face and ask, "Is Dick just a little bit jealous?"

Logan shrugged in response.

Veronica sobered. This time her words were a statement rather than a question. "He doesn't much like Nick, does he?"

"Nope," Logan replied, his 'p' making a distinct popping sound.

"I'm sorry," Veronica said softly, giving his hand a squeeze, "That's gotta suck."

"That's an understatement," Logan stated wryly.

Veronica opened her mouth to say something else but it was at that moment that she heard a phrase that set her alarm system off.

"Nobody knows about our connection or that we've gotten hold of some valuable intelligence."

Logan noticed the change in Veronica and sat still, listening as well. He was on the other side of the table, though, and didn't hear a thing.

Motioning with her eyes over her shoulder, Veronica mouthed to him, "Who are they?"

After sneaking a casual glance, Logan shook his head in the negative. He had no idea.

Nick slid in beside Logan, his tongue loosed from alcohol. "Sooo, we ready to blow this popcicle stand?"

Logan rolled his eyes and held out his hand, "Yo, Dude, give me your keys."

"No way, Man!" Nick scoffed, his tone terribly offended.

"Yes way," Logan insisted, "If I let you drive like this, Gabby would have my head!"

Nick pouted but turned over his keys. Logan clapped him on the back and spoke quietly in his ear, "You recognize the guy at 2:00?"

It took him a minute to focus and check but then Nick, too, shook his head. "Maybe seen him around base but don't know his name. Why?"

Veronica and Logan shared a look, the intensity of which made Nick sober. "You heard something?"

"Not here," Veronica murmured through gritted teeth. She looked around to make sure no one was watching them, then motioned for the door. "Let's go."

When they were alone and at a safe distance, Veronica turned to the two men. She looked at Nick almost apologetically and said, "I'm not sure what I heard or if it's significant but at least now I have a face to try to put with a name. Once Mac gets me the personnel list and we narrow it down, I'll give you a call and we can go from there, ok?"

Nick nodded while Logan watched his friend with a worried expression.

"You still want to meet up and try a couple more bars after we're off tomorrow?" Logan asked.

Veronica thought about it a minute but shook her head. "Nah. If we can find out who that person was, who he hangs out with, and if any of them have wives or girlfriends, then I think it might be time for me to get some '_support_' and try to make a few new friends."


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Veronica and Mac spent hours scrolling through information, trying to find the most likely suspects. They narrowed it down to fifteen. Fifteen officers, some of whom may be betraying their country.

Veronica looked at the list and blew out a breath. "Damn, Mac. I don't know if we should feel accomplished or depressed."

"How about we compromise and go with ill at ease?" Mac suggested as she glanced over Veronica's shoulder, punched in a few commands, and brought up the audio files. "There, take a listen to those. Maybe one will match your mystery person from last night."

Through file after file Veronica listened, tapping her fingers on the desk. Finally, she stopped, sat up straight, and played a sample again.

"That's it. That's the one," Veronica exclaimed. She looked at Mac and demanded, "Get me all the information you can on Lieutenant Commander Andrew Berry."

"Got it, boss," Mac replied. Immediately, she took the seat in front of the computer screens, her hands flying fast over the keyboard. Within minutes she'd brought up everything she could from his file. "A lot of it is classified, V. But it looks like he was recently transferred from Fifth Fleet to Third."

"I have no idea what that means," Veronica admitted, looking intently at her friend, "Do you?"

"Not the foggiest. Want me to get Logan on speaker?" Mac asked.

Veronica hesitated, not quite sure what to do. She worried her lower lip and debated. If he was in the middle of something and this was big, her interrupting could be dangerous. Then again, if he was busy, he usually just ignored her call.

"Yeah," she said finally, "Get him on the line."

It took three rings for him to answer. When he did, he sounded like he was out of breath. "What's up?"

"Are you someplace secure?" Veronica asked first, not willing to compromise him.

"Give me a minute," came his response.

They heard some rustling and voices in the background for a minute, then everything went quiet and he said, "Ok. I'm alone. Now tell me what's going on."

"First," Veronica began, "What's the Fifth Fleet?" She had a pencil and paper at the ready while Mac snickered and prepared to type everything out.

"Fifth Fleet?" Logan asked, his voice showing his surprise, "They cover the Middle East. Based in Bahrain. Why?"

His words gave Veronica a headache. She paused and sighed, rubbing her temples, "Oh, no reason. Just that the guy that I heard last night was recently transferred from Fifth to Third."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Then Logan's voice became urgent, "You be careful, Veronica. This is sounding more and more dangerous by the minute."

"I will be," she assured him, "Mac is trying to get me more info on him. Then I'm dragging her with me to that support group thing."

"What?!" Mac protested before she was cut off.

"Listen, Mac," Logan started in earnest, "In case she gets into a mess, I don't want her alone. Can you please be ok with that?"

"Yeah, fi-" she started to say when Veronica interjected.

"Hey! I thought we established that I can handle myself," Veronica protested, her voice thick with resentment.

"We did," Logan assured her, "But this is different. Please, Veronica? Don't go in alone."

She sighed and caved grudgingly, "Fine. But not because you said so. I was planning on it anyway."

He chuckled softly and prepared to hang up, "I know. I gotta get back. I love you."

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, "I love you, too."

The call was disconnected and Mac had to laugh. "You two are hopeless, you know."

"I know," Veronica said dryly, "Trust me. I know."

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An hour later, they had discovered that LtCmdr. Andrew Berry had a wife and daughter. They'd also found that said wife was big into support groups, had led a few while her husband was in the Fifth apparently.

Armed with the Berry's names and information as well as the location of the support group that Mrs. Berry had recently started attending, the two women made their way out of Neptune and toward San Diego. They arrived with about twenty minutes to spare. Veronica looked over at Mac with worry in her expression as they prepared to get out of the car.

"What is it, Bond?" Mac asked with concern.

"It's just...I don't know how to be vulnerable," Veronica replied. "How am I gonna pull off this support group bullshit?"

Mac laughed and gave her a shrug, "Never a better time to learn!"

"Not funny!" Veronica protested.

"It is to me," Mac said, "At least a little."

Inside, they were welcomed warmly and told to make themselves at home. Mac looked around while Veronica snooped.

There was nothing spectacular about the concrete building or the cold tile floor. There were cases of awards and trophies set up. A kitchen off to the side held a refrigerator with drinks available for the guests. Other than that, the only thing there was a circle of folding chairs in the center of the room.

Mac and Veronica each got a glass of lemonade before taking a seat. One by one they watched each new person enter. There were men, women, and teenagers. The men surprised Veronica but she supposed they shouldn't have. She'd seen them waiting for their spouses to return from deployment just like she'd waited for Logan.

She smiled at them now, giving each a pleasant nod of acknowledgment. One sat beside her and decided to strike up a conversation.

"Hey there. How's it going?" he said.

Veronica shot a quick, pleading glance towards Mac but all she got was a wry smile in return. She glared at her friend and tried not to scowl as she turned back to the man who had addressed her.

"Hi. Yeah, it's going just fine," Veronica said.

The man started babbling at her but Veronica didn't bother to pay attention. Her eyes were drawn across the room to a woman and her daughter. '_Could that be them?'_

"Excuse me," she said to the man as she stood, holding up her cup apologetically, "I need to get a refill."

She made her way toward the kitchen and '_accidentally' _bumped into the mother and daughter.

"I'm so sorry!" she said apologetically in her latest take on the super ditzy act. "I'm such a klutz!"

The girl and the mother were startled at first. Then they looked Veronica over. After a moment, the mother shook her head, put one hand on her daughter's shoulder and reached the other to Veronica, "Not a problem. I see you're new here. We're fairly new ourselves. Welcome."

Veronica took the offered hand and shook it gratefully. "Thank you," she said with relief in her voice, "I'm just so bad at this, I mean, at meeting new people." '_Isn't that the truth!'_

The teenager rolled her eyes and moved away but the mother smiled at Veronica warmly. "I get it. You'd think at some point it would get easier but it never really does. You should try being stationed in the Middle East! Or wait, I'm sorry, have you been?"

"Nooo," Veronica responded, her Spidey Senses tingling, "Never been anywhere near it. Why? I take it you have?" '_Please say you have.'_

"Yes," the woman smiled, "Just got back from several years there, actually. I'm sorry, I forgot my manners. My name is Sandra Berry."

"Sandra," Veronica repeated warmly as she thought '_Yahtzee!'_ before continuing, "It's nice to meet you. I'm - " '_Oh hell. What do I do?' _"Veronica," she inwardly groaned and berated herself for not having thought of a cover, "It's nice to meet you."

They talked a few minutes more before the group was called together. Then, when they all sat down, the leader beckoned them to begin.

"This group," she said, "Is for all of us to commiserate. There are no rules other than that you respect each other and keep any information shared here to yourselves. Ok? Who'd like to go first?"

Around the circle they went, each sharing one by one. Unfortunately, it came to Veronica before Sandra had a chance to speak. She bit her lip and looked at Mac worriedly but Mac gave her a look like she was trying not to laugh and simply encouraged her to share.

"I...uh...I'm dating a lieutenant. Things are going well. He just recently got back from deployment…" Veronica started and then stalled. Her mind went blank, her mouth went dry, and she thought she just might panic.

She was about to bolt when Mac stepped in, reaching for her hand. "My friend here is kinda shy," she said apologetically, "She asked me to join her so she wouldn't chicken out. Her therapist agrees this would be good for her."

Veronica glared at Mac and tried not to choke. Of course, it helped when Mac added, "This is her first time here so you don't know her yet. But for her, what she just told you was sharing a lot."

The group burst into applause, praise and encouragement. Veronica's face flushed beet red. Under her breath she told Mac, "When we get out of here, remind me to kill you." Mac didn't seem threatened, though. In fact, she merely laughed.

Sandra Berry never did share anything and by the end of the group, Veronica was restless and feeling like the whole thing had been a bust. She was gathering her things, getting ready to leave, when Sandra sought her out.

"Hey again," the woman said, "I just wanted to say that I get where you're coming from and ask if...I don't know...sometime, maybe, you'd like to hang out?"

Veronica smiled almost triumphantly to the point where she had to remind herself to not seem too eager. She sought out Mac with her eyes then looked back to Sandra. "Yeah, that would be great."

"I've got errands to run today but maybe sometime later this week?" Sandra asked.

"Sure, sounds great. I'll pencil you in," Veronica replied.

"Wonderful! I'll see you soon, Veronica," Sandra said before she left.

Once Veronica and Mac were back in the car, Mac turned to Veronica and asked, "What was that all about?"

"She invited me to hang out," Veronica responded dryly, "I think she wants to be friends."

"You're pouting," Mac observed, "What the hell are you pouting about?"

"If her husband isn't a traitor, I may actually have to play nice!"

Mac burst into laughter and shook her head. "Only you, Veronica Mars."

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Later that night when Logan got home, Veronica met him at the door to his condo. Mac had dropped her off before she'd headed back to Neptune.

"Hey!" He greeted her, pulling her in for a kiss, "I was wondering if you were coming to me or if I was going to you tonight. This works just great!"

She smiled at him and returned the kiss, letting him pull her to the couch and into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and lightly kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, sooo...it's only one name but, what do you know about LtCmdr. Andrew Berry?"

"Commander Berry?" Logan repeated with furrowed brow, "I don't know. I've heard the name but I haven't really seen him. I can check around, though, if you want."

"I want," Veronica confirmed, then explained, "That's who I heard last night. I met his wife and daughter today but don't know if I'll get much out of them. It would be great if we could figure out who he associates with and…" she paused before giving him a guilty smirk, "I may need you to tap his phone."

"Veronica," he whined, his forehead falling to her shoulder before he raised it and shook his head, stating clearly, "I know I asked you to do this, but I won't resort to treason myself."

"I know and I'm sorry, ok? It's just, I don't know how else to do this. And a tap could give me so much." Her voice was almost pleading. She even tried sticking out her lower lip.

Logan chuckled and shook his head, "NO. What about this? I'll find out who his associates are and you can get information on them. If a tap is needed, we'll take it to NCIS."

"Fine," Veronica agreed grudgingly, "I can make that work, I suppose."

"Good, cause I'm not agreeing to anything else," Logan stated firmly.

Veronica grinned and her eyes began to twinkle. "Oh no?"

"Nope," Logan said the word with finality, in a way that made the '_p'_ pop, "Not a chance in hell."

"Hmm, I think you underestimate me. I may just take that as a challenge," Veronica smirked, nipping at his ear playfully.

"Uh huh, you do that," Logan hid his smile and wrapped his arms tightly around her middle.

She smiled against the nape of his neck before she licked circles around his favorite spot, then sucked it, and kissed it.

In one swift move, he had her underneath him and he started smothering her in kisses. She laughed against his mouth and met him kiss for kiss. Soon she was lifting her pelvis and pressing against him. Hands sought skin, clothes flew, and everything else was forgotten.


	6. Chapter 6

Veronica was in the office, drumming her pencil on the desk, contemplating and debating what she should do next. Mac had pulled up several of Berry's closest associates. One or two had been in the Fifth but it appeared that they'd had no direct communication or link with that fleet in any number of years.

When her dad came in, she looked up and gave him a cursory grin. He noted quickly that the smile never really seemed to reach her eyes.

"What's up, honey?" Keith asked.

"Nothing," she answered at first, then relented by saying, "It's just this case."

"What case is that?" Keith came up behind her and looked over her shoulder, scanning the list of names to try to make sense of them.

"Logan's," Veronica started, then she saw the look on her father's face and changed it to, "Or rather, his wingman's." She cocked her head to one side and asked quizzically, "I've mentioned Nick to you, right?"

"Sure," Keith replied then pulled his chair over to see what he could do to help out, "So, what's going on?"

She looked at him skeptically and asked, "Promise you won't be mad?"

"Have you put yourself in danger?" He immediately asked.

"Not yet," Veronica replied.

"Then it shouldn't be a problem," Keith stated, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Now come on. Stop stalling."

With a sigh, Veronica turned to him. "Nick overheard something disturbing. He and Logan asked me to help verify the information before they decide whether to take it to NCIS."

"NCIS?" Keith asked, everything about him now fully at attention, "Sounds pretty serious."

"It is," Veronica agreed. She searched his eyes and studied his face before she took a deep breath and dove in, "Nick thinks he overheard someone talking about selling intel to Iran."

Keith let out a low whistle and said firmly, "You're gonna need me on this one."

Veronica nodded, not even pretending to argue. She bit her lower lip before she shared what she'd done so far.

Shaking his head in both amusement and bemusement, Keith said with humor in his tone, "At least you haven't impersonated an officer. And it's nice to know that Logan said no to a bug."

"What do you think, though, dad? Where do we go from here?" Veronica asked, ignoring her father's words.

"Well," he said thoughtfully, "Sounds like a lot of what you have is really purely speculation. What about trying to contact the Fifth? See if they know anything about a breach?"

"And how, pray tell, would I do that?" Veronica cocked a brow in his direction.

Keith thought about it a moment. "Is there anyone on base that Logan and Nick trust?"

"Not sure, although I kind of doubt it since they brought this to me," Veronica said with a shrug. "Why?"

"Just wondering if we could get some information, that's all. Maybe find out if there's some sort of mission between the Fifth and the Third - that's Logan's Fleet, right? - that we don't know about," Keith explained.

Veronica contemplated what her father had said for a minute, literally tapping her finger on her chin. "Well, we can always give it a try. Who knows. Maybe this whole thing is a big misunderstanding or someone is actually just trying to set bait."

"Could be, honey," Keith agreed, giving his daughter's shoulder a squeeze. "You let me know if you need anything."

Distracted, Veronica gave him a nod. Bait. Treason. Or a misunderstanding. Three interesting options. Which was it and what would be the best way to find out?

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Several hours later, Veronica was neck-deep in information courtesy of Mac. She was sifting through, trying to piece things together but it was taking quite a bit of work. '_This would be so much easier if I knew a goddamn thing about how the Navy was structured.'_

She was learning and was teaching herself as she went but military structure and military order just didn't make the most sense. At least not to her. '_I wonder how long it would take Logan to help me figure this out. Is that really how I want to spend my time with him?'_

Almost as soon as she had the idea, she rejected it. If it were just something simple, it would be fine, but this was much bigger than that. It would take time. Time he should be on duty, getting things done, listening to clues himself. And the thought of having him go over it with her in the evening during their precious time alone just made her cringe.

Then something else occurred to her and she found herself picking up the phone. It rang several times before a perky feminine voice answered, "Hello?"

Veronica got nervous for a moment but she shoved away the pang of jitters as she cleared her throat. "Hey. Gabby? This is Veronica. I...I wanted to know if you could give me a lesson in Navy structure. If you have the time, that is."

"Veronica?" The voice on the other end of the line sounded confused. "Hi. Umm...ok? I'm not sure I'm the best person to teach you...I'm sure Logan could answer any questions you have about stuff…"

"I know," Veronica began, debating how to phrase her request because obviously she'd gotten it wrong the first time, "It's just…" Then something occurred to her. '_Did Nick not tell her what was going on?' _Veronica's eyes widened and she pulled the phone from her ear to stare at it in horror. '_Oops! Think, Veronica, think! Get yourself out of this!'_

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I just didn't want to bother him. Don't worry about it. Forget that I asked."

"No, seriously, it's not a problem," Gabby said sincerely, sounding as if she were warming to the topic, "I've got Maddox with me but I could head your way now if you want."

"Ummm…" Veronica silently mimed bashing her forehead with the phone. '_Shit. Mayday! Mayday! Do something to keep her away!' _"You know what? I forgot about a support group I was gonna go to. Maybe another time?"

"Sure," Gabby responded easily before asking, "Which group are you headed to? If you want, you're welcome to join mine."

Veronica wrinkled her nose, then blew out a breath silently. '_Fuck it. After what I just did. I probably deserve this.' _"Uhhh, yeah. Sure. Just tell me when and where."

"Well, it's a group for those who have children so it's held at the park close to the base. It's kind of a free-for-all," Gabby told her apologetically.

'_Kids? Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.' _

"Oh, ok. Well, ahhhh, will I be welcome? I mean, I don't exactly have a kid. Unless you're planning to share yours," Veronica responded wryly. '_Maybe I can get out of this thing yet.'_

Gabby laughed delightedly, "No one's gonna kick you out if that's what you mean. Mostly we meet on our own 'cause none of the other groups want us. Moms with kids. We're rebels, don't you know."

"All right," Veronica said, trying to hide the resignation in her voice, "What time should I meet you?"

"Usually we meet around 4 o'clock, after the younger kids' afternoon naps," Gabby explained.

"Okay," Veronica nodded to herself thoughtfully, "I can work with that. I'll meet you there."

When the call ended and Veronica had hung up and put down the phone, she folded her arms on the desk and rested her head against them. After she let out the groan she'd been holding in since the beginning of the conversation, she yelled out the door and into the lobby, "Mac! Hold all my calls. I'm gonna go play at the park."

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Halfway to San Diego, Veronica had to call Gabby back and ask her where exactly she was going. In the moment, during their earlier conversation, she'd been so intent on trying to get out of it that it hadn't occurred to her to ask for the specifics.

Mariner Park. That's where she was now. The parking area closest to the playground had been full so she found herself with a spot in the lot directly in front of the sand volleyball court. Exiting her car, she pulled her sunglasses down to the tip of her nose.

With a shake of her head, she glanced at the court, her eyes full of appreciation. The hot and shirtless guys who were sweating it out and playing to their hearts' content all with their dog tags on made her think of yet another sexy scene from _Top Gun_.

'_Damn. Too bad Logan's not out there. I would definitely not object to seeing his fine-toned abs right about now.'_

Instead, she took one last look and made her way to the playground. Just as she was walking up, she saw Gabby waving her over. Veronica smiled weakly and wiggled her fingers in return.

Over the next half hour, Gabby introduced her to all the other moms. There were around eighteen in total, each with between one and three children in tow. Veronica was definitely out of her element and feeling very, very overwhelmed.

Gabby sidled up beside her with a grin that showed her dimples, nudging Veronica with her elbow. "Hey. Sooo, welcome to the "Mommy and Me" group. It's not really structured. We just kinda hang out for a little over an hour or so. You're not into kids much, are you?"

"I've got nothing against them," Veronica responded defensively.

"I don't doubt it," Gabby laughed, watching Maddox playing with a bulldozer in the sandbox. "But they make you uncomfortable. I can tell. It's ok to admit it."

"Yeah...I guess so," Veronica shrugged with a guilty little smile.

"Rogue was like that, too, you know. With maybe one or two exceptions," Gabby offered, "Still is, I guess. I just never think about it because of how great he is with Maddox."

"How did you guys get to be so close?" Veronica asked with interest, her eyes scanning the area, wondering if there was really any point in her being there.

"He dated my roommate," Gabby answered dryly, "It was easy to see he was trouble but there was something about him, too…something that just, I don't know, makes you want to mother him."

Veronica laughed and shook her head, completely and utterly amused. "I was never sure if that was his background, the fact that he tends to ooze the Echolls charm, or just a part of him being Logan."

"It may just be a combination of all the above," Gabby replied knowingly, "He really is super sweet. He's helped us through a lot."

"Like what?" Veronica turned toward Gabby curiously, always wanting to know more about Logan.

"Well, he probably wouldn't want me to tell you but he helped us out with our first apartment. And when we lost my first pregnancy, he made sure we were taken care of," Gabby explained quietly, "He's the closest thing to extended family we've had near us since Nick enlisted."

"You kind of grew up together, didn't you? I thought I heard Logan say something like that," Veronica asked softly.

"Not like you and Rogue did. Nick and I met in college," Gabby said with a smile. She appeared to be about to say something more but then she spotted someone and said, "Hey, listen, I think I just saw my friend, Paige. She just got reassigned here from the Fifth. I haven't had the chance to see her since Rhode Island. Would you mind watching Maddox for a minute?"

The mention of the Fifth caught Veronica's attention. "Sure," she said casually, "Why don't you see if you can bring her over here? I'd love to get to meet her."

Gabby lit up at the suggestion and nodded enthusiastically. "Ok! I'll do that! Be right back!"

Veronica purposely avoided following Gabby with her eyes. Instead, she forced herself to focus on little Maddox. He'd left the sandbox and headed to the swings. As she watched him, it was as if they were both in slow motion. Her eyes widened, her mouth opened, and it was as if she were separated from her body as she heard herself scream, "NOOOO!"

Maddox had wandered in front of a bigger kid's swing. He was about to be kicked in the head and he was completely oblivious. Without knowing how it happened, Veronica raced forward and scooped him up. Instead of the child getting a foot to the face, the person getting hit was Veronica.

"Owww!" she cried out sharply as a tiny person's foot connected with her left hip.

Gabby and her friend came rushing over, having seen what had just happened. Veronica passed off Maddox to his mother and winced when her fingertips touched her side.

"That'll leave a mark," came a knowing remark from Gabby's friend, Paige.

"Yep," Veronica replied evenly to the completely obvious statement. She reached out her other hand to the new woman and said, "I'm Veronica. You're…?"

"Paige," the woman replied with a smile as she shook Veronica's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Paige. Wish it was under better conditions."

"That's nothing," Paige said matter-of-factly, "You should see some of the injuries you get when you're based in Bahrain. Oh, and it has nothing to do with anything other than clumsiness completely caused by the terrain."

"That must have been rough," Veronica said sympathetically. She looked toward Gabby a moment and mouthed, "Everything ok?"

"Fine," Gabby reassured her but said, "I think we might get going. Paige, we'll have to get together. You two should feel free to hang out."

When they left, things were awkward between Veronica and Paige. After a few moments, Veronica rubbed her side delicately and asked, "So, Bahrain, huh? How long were you over there?"

"The last two years," Paige responded distractedly, "It got pretty scary sometimes. My husband is in special ops forces." She turned to look at Veronica again and said apologetically, "Hey listen, it looks like there's a fight about to break out between my kids which usually means it's time to go. It was nice to meet you...but can we talk again later?"

"Yeah, sure, no problem," Veronica reassured her with a smile, "I should probably get going anyway. Tend to my wounds and all." She paused a moment before asking, "Should I get your info from Gabby or let her set something up?"

Paige yelled toward two children pushing each other at the foot of the monkey bars, threatening them with no snack before dinner. When she turned back to Veronica, she said with a slightly flustered smile, "That'll work. I'll see you around, I guess."

While Veronica watched the other woman walk away, grab up the two children by their arms and haul them toward the parking lot, she wondered if there was something she was missing. '_How often are families reassigned? Is it a coincidence they just moved from the Fifth? I wonder if Mac can do a search just by her first name…'_


	7. Chapter 7

Veronica had intended to talk with Logan about a few things as soon as she saw him that evening but she'd forgotten it was dinner night with Dick. '_Maybe we can cancel.'_

"Logan?" she called out when she heard his front door open. She'd been waiting at his place, doing some research, for a couple hours.

He popped his head in his office door a moment later and said with a smirk, "You bellowed?"

"Don't be a smartass," she said with an impatient roll of her eyes.

"What, you'd rather I be a dumbass? I thought that was Dick's job description, not mine." He moved gracefully into the room and sat down on the corner of his desk while she groaned. Then with a look of amusement, he asked, "What's up?"

"A lot, actually," she began, "Any chance we could bail on Dick?"

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and chuckled softly. "You're cute when you're delusional, you know that?"

She pouted, wrinkled her nose, and protested, saying, "It's just, I really need a Navy tutorial and only your personal expertise, Lieutenant, will do."

"Ahhh," he said in comprehension, "Well, I'm here now and we have a while before we need to leave to meet Dick. What do you want to know?"

"For starters," Veronica began, tilting her head to the side, watching him intently, "How often do transfers typically occur and what's the likelihood that more than one, say...a group, of officers are all transferred at once, to the same place, together?"

"What did you find?" Logan asked bluntly, his sharp eyes boring into her.

"I don't know, yet. That's why I'm asking. So far between the support group for the newly arrived and the mommy and me group, I've met two wives whose husbands were recently transferred here from the Fifth Fleet," Veronica paused to scrutinize Logan's response to that.

"And any transfers would be a good place to start looking for info regarding this thing with Iran," Logan finished, following her completely.

"Exactly," Veronica agreed with a nod.

"Well, what I can tell you is that transfers are usually for a reason," Logan said in a matter-of-fact manner, "A bunch of guys might get a short-term assignment all at once but base assignments...a lot of different factors are considered."

Veronica saw an email with a file attachment pop up on her screen. She opened it, still considering his words, then frowned. "Sooo...eight officers transferred from the Fifth to the Third all at once wouldn't necessarily raise any red flags?"

"Not necessarily," Logan shrugged as he glanced over her shoulder at the list Mac had sent her. He pondered a moment before he said thoughtfully, "Could mean a task force was disbanded or that a set timeframe mission ended. Something like that."

She nodded and continued to read over the list, looking for any factors they may all have in common other than the obvious. Finally she sighed and shook her head in frustration, "I'm not getting anywhere with this. I'm stumped."

Logan leaned in with a smile and kissed her on the forehead, telling her in a reassuring manner, "Put it on the back burner for the night. It's time to go hang with Dick anyway."

Veronica groaned and pushed herself out of the chair so that she could wrap her arms around him. With a frown and a pout, her eyes full of humor she said, "Can't we," she cleared her throat, " '_hang with dick'_ here instead?"

He kissed her nose and laughed, then simply shook his head. "Nope. That particular activity has been postponed until later. And considering it'll be my penance for time spent with Dick, why don't we call it '_sucking up' _instead?" He grinned.

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Dick was, of course, playing video games when Logan and Veronica arrived at his beach house. What they didn't expect was that Mac would be there playing video games with him.

"Mac?" Veronica asked in disbelief as she entered the living room with Logan behind her. They had knocked on the door and Dick had called for them just to come in.

"Hey V," Mac responded with a quick glance and a guilty smile, "Just getting my fill of kicking this big douchebag's ass then I'll be gone."

"What?! I thought we were even," Dick protested, bobbing and swaying with his controller.

"In your dreams, Dick!" Mac said as she proved herself by blowing him up. She pumped her hand in the air and exclaimed, "HA! Eat THAT!"

Dick grumbled and threw his controller down, shutting off the TV, "Whatevs. I totally would have beat you if I hadn't been distracted, you know, when Logan and Ronnie showed up."

"Whatevs to you, dork," Mac retorted with a prideful gleam in her eyes, "I owned you and you know it. Face the facts already, bro."

Veronica blinked and shook her head. She looked up at Logan curiously before asking in what amounted to a stage whisper, "How long has this been going on? Do I need to call for backup?"

Logan laughed and shook his head, stepping behind Veronica and rubbing her shoulders before stage whispering back in her ear, "Nope, this is normal. Hate to break it to you but this has been going on weekly since college."

"College?!" Veronica's eyes widened and she looked over her shoulder at Logan in disbelief then back at the other two who were still across the room, "This was going on while we were all at Hearst?"

"Not you," Logan corrected, "Or, well, it started toward the end of freshman year. Around the time Mac helped me launch that _Grade Your Ass_ website. They've been arguing like siblings and playing video games ever since."

"I can't believe I never knew!" Veronica exclaimed incredulously.

Dick jumped up and jogged over, giving his classic surfer-boy grin, "Believe it, Ronnie. Like it or not, Mac and I are friends," he glanced back over his shoulder and called out fondly, "Isn't that right, Mac-ster?"

"I'd more call us enemies who are on friendly terms," Mac called back as she rose from where she was sitting and grabbed her bag, "And now that you're here, I've got my excuse for leaving."

"No way! You gotta stay!" Dick pleaded.

"Actually, I'd love to talk shop anyway, Q," Veronica said eagerly, "What do you say? The boys can cook and we can talk? Sound like a plan?"

Dick and Mac both scowled, each for a different reason.

Logan, for his part, just rolled his eyes tolerantly and said dryly, "If by cook, you mean order, I'm in." He knew there was no stopping her once she got going. They all knew that.

"Fine," Mac conceded reluctantly, "But it can't ALL be work talk, ok?"

"Agreed," Veronica nodded.

The girls moved to the living room and the boys moved to the deck.

"Sooo," Veronica started, "You and Dick? Are you serious?"

"Serious how?" Mac asked cautiously. Then, seeing Veronica's eyebrows rise, she immediately pretended to gag and said, "God no! It's not like that."

She paused a minute, looking into the distance thoughtfully, then she began again, "It's just that...he's kinda like a lost puppy, V. He's got Logan and me and that's it. He's big, dumb, and loyal. You rub his belly, throw him a treat and he's happy."

Mac saw the gleam in Veronica's eye and saw her open her mouth to speak but cut her off, "By that I mean food and video games, not hot monkey sex, you perv!"

Veronica laughed and shook her head, "I never would have thunk it. You and Dick Casablancas. Friends. What has the world come to?"

"Stop being so over-dramatic," Mac responded dryly.

"Fine. Then I'm moving on to work. I need to find out if there were any recent aborted missions or disbanded task forces out of the Fifth Fleet lately," Veronica said seriously.

"And I need a billion dollars," Mac returned with a disbelieving laugh.

"Mac! I'm serious!" Veronica protested.

"Yeah, and I'm not gonna get busted hacking Navy intelligence. You're gonna have to do without it or find another way to get what you want," Mac said stubbornly.

Veronica grumbled in frustration but Mac wouldn't budge.

"I'll get you the info you asked for on Paige and Joe Horne and anything else that won't cost me a dime in the big house if I'm caught but seriously, Veronica, I won't risk ending up in Gitmo. Not even for you, my friend."

The wheels in Veronica's head were already spinning. She'd have to find another way to learn what was going on in the Fifth. '_As much as it pains me,'_ she thought, '_I may have to get a little help from my new friends. Another play date or meeting of the wives club, anyone?'_

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Logan and Dick weren't faring much better. They stood on the deck, leaning on the wood rail, each with a beer in hand.

"Seriously, bro, you're no fun anymore," Dick complained, "All you ever do is work. You hardly even come around to surf anymore. Especially not since you and Ronnie got back together."

"I know you're feeling neglected, Dick," Logan began calmly, pausing to take a swig of his beer, "But at least part of that is your fault."

"MY fault?!" Dick exclaimed, "How the hell do you figure?"

Logan looked off down the beach, watching the couples strolling on the shore, the gulls, the few children splashing and playing in the sand.

When he looked back at Dick, his jaw was squared and he said bluntly, "You know how. You refuse to come to my place, especially if Nick and Gabby will be there. And you berate me for having a job."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dick protested, "I don't berate you! That's teasing, dude. Get it right!"

"Fine," Logan conceded, "Call it what you want. You still get the same result."

"Seriously, man? That's it? You know I don't trust the government! There's something shady going on there, especially with Nick," came Dick's argument, "I mean, what kind of guy lets himself be called _Ducky_? That just ain't right, dude!"

Logan took a deep breath. It was obvious that all this nonsense had come up before and he was losing his patience with it. "Ok, here's what we're gonna do," he began, a warning in his tone, "_Ducky _and I have some time blocked out and reserved at the rec center tomorrow. I'll get you a pass and you can come join."

"WHAT?!" Dick yelled, backing away, "No way, man! That just ain't happenin'!"

"Dick," Logan said, the word almost a threat, "If you don't at least put in an effort, give it a chance, then I'm through. No more dinners. No more video games," he paused, softening his harsh words by saying, "You're family, dude. My oldest friend. But I'm not gonna deal with your shit."

Dick sobered up quickly. Even he knew when Logan had been pushed to his limit. Grudgingly he said, "Fine. I'll go. But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Logan grinned, "I'd expect nothing less from you."

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The rest of the night was spent indoors. Pizza arrived and so did Thai and Chinese. They hadn't been able to choose one so they ordered some of each. They laughed and they drank, they teased and they joked. They even played charades and a few more video games.

By the time Logan and Veronica left, they were exhausted but happy and more than a little drunk. They left Logan's car there and called for a cab. They'd have to stay at Veronica's place in Neptune for the night.

Veronica tried to find her key in the black hole that was her black studded handbag. She thought she'd grasped it at one point but ended up dropping it. Logan bent down and reached for it, then paused. He'd caught sight of something in the shadows.

"Uhh, Veronica? I think you might have a guest."

"A guest? What kind of guest?" Veronica asked in confusion.

"Take a look," he said and gestured toward the figure curled up under the stairs.

Bending down, Veronica squinted her eyes and saw a teen girl who looked vaguely familiar. She was asleep, her arms wrapped around her knees, head buried in her own lap. Veronica frowned, sighed, and bit her lower lip before she looked up at Logan. "Get her inside. We can question her in the morning."


	8. Chapter 8

It was about five in the morning when the girl they'd brought in from under the stairs woke up and promptly screamed. Logan and Veronica rolled out of bed and groaned, shuffling out to greet her.

"Where am I?" the girl asked as Veronica rubbed her eyes.

Logan ran his hand through her hair and said, "We found you outside. This is Veronica. I'm Logan. And you are…?"

"Isabelle Berry," the girl answered, her eyes darting between the two before coming to rest on Veronica. "I met you at the support group, right?"

"Berry…" Veronica said slowly, trying to get her brain to work, "Yeah...we met. What are you doing here? How did you find out where I live?"

"I go to Neptune High. Mr. Fennel is one of my teachers. I heard him on the phone with you over lunch and put two and two together," Isabelle explained.

"Okay…" Veronica began while Logan crossed his arms and monitored the situation like a hawk. "Again, why are you here?"

"I need to talk to you. There's something weird going on with my dad," Isabelle said.

Veronica and Logan caught each other's eye. Logan's brows rose and Veronica's furrowed in concern. Logan moved to turn on a light while Veronica crossed the room to sit beside Isabelle on the couch.

"What do you mean 'something weird'?" she asked.

"Just...weird," Isabelle answered in frustration, "Ever since we moved here and maybe even before, he's been distant and stressed and fighting with Mom," she paused and shook her head, "I think maybe he's cheating."

"Is there any chance it's something else?" Veronica asked, thinking of the fact that they were definitely talking about one of the men that Nick had overheard.

Isabelle shook her head, "It could be something work-related, I guess, but usually he's really good at working out stuff like that with mom, even when he can't tell her what's going on. This just seems...different."

"Okay," Veronica conceded, knowing Logan was listening, taking in every word, "But why are you here? Shouldn't you be talking with your mom? Trying to work this out with her?"

Isabelle's eyes trailed up to Logan and then back to Veronica. She shrugged and bit her lower lip, then admitted, "I got into a fight with my mom last night. I told her dad might be cheating and she kinda freaked out. I remembered hearing Mr. Fennel say something about you being a detective so I figured I'd look you up."

"I'm sure your parents are sooo worried," Veronica started to say.

"My mom kicked me out," Isabelle blurted, "She didn't want to hear it when I was questioning my dad."

Veronica blinked, startled, then looked at Logan and sighed. "Well, I guess you're staying here for now. I still think your parents are probably worried but I'll see if I can't talk to them myself. Have a word with…" she cleared her throat as the corners of her lips twitched in mirth, "Mr. Fennel as well."

Relief showed clearly on Isabelle's face. In fact, she impulsively threw her arms around Veronica in what amounted to an awkward embrace. "Thank you!" she said with glee, then explained, "I was afraid you wouldn't believe me…"

"Oh, I believe you," Veronica responded dryly, "And we'll get to the bottom of this. You have my word."

Logan and Veronica moved to the kitchen and spoke in whispers while Isabelle got herself ready for school.

"What do you think?" Veronica asked, searching Logan's eyes.

"I think there's more going on than what that girl knows," Logan answered grimly.

"Right," Veronica agreed, then asked, "So what do we do?"

"Do what you said," Logan shrugged, "I'll see if I can learn something as well. But," he rubbed his hands up and down her arms then kissed her on the forehead, "As much as I'd love to stay and chat, I really have to get going. There are a few things I need to get done before I meet Dick and Ducky."

"Okay," Veronica conceded, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. "I'll miss you," she said softly, then added, "I'll let you know how things go."

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After Logan left, Veronica got dressed and took Isabelle to school. On the way, Veronica called Mrs. Berry and let her know Isabelle was all right. Mrs. Berry thanked her profusely but ended the call abruptly, saying she was being called away.

When they arrived at the school, Veronica parked, watched Isabelle wander off, and went to the office to sign in.

"Veronica," came a deep and familiar voice that was obviously filled with dread, "What are you doing here?"

Veronica turned and saw Mr. Clemmons. Her lips twitched upward and formed a smirk, "Hey, Mr. C. Just checking in a student, that's all." When Clemmons gave her a 'look' that said he required more explanation, she added, "She landed on my couch last night."

With a resigned sigh and a shake of his head, Clemmons replied, "Stick to the office, Veronica, and the main corridors. No sneaking around. No gathering information. Am I understood?"

A blush crept across Veronica's cheeks. He knew her so well. She recovered hastily and flashed him a cheeky grin. "You got it, Mr. C. I just need to speak to Wallace…"

"Veronica," he said in a warning tone as he looked up at the clock, "He's teaching a class."

"Are you saying you'd rather I came back at lunch?" Veronica asked innocently.

Principal Clemmons hesitated a moment, then he said, "Fine. I'll cover his class. You can follow me, but make it quick," he warned.

"Of course!" Veronica answered cheerily, following him back out the office door.

They wove through the halls and turned several corners before Clemmons stopped in front of a closed door. He gave Veronica a warning glance, then knocked on the door and cracked it open.

"Mr. Fennel, I have someone who needs to see you in the hall for a moment. I can watch your class but you'd better make it quick."

Moments later, Wallace was standing beside Veronica, glaring at her and telling her she shouldn't disrupt him at school.

"Whoa, papa bear! Be cool," Veronica teased with a grin. When he was finished ranting, she sobered, checked around to make sure they were alone, and then said, "I need a favor."

"Are you serious?!" he asked, incredulous, "Is this ever gonna stop?"

"Maybe," Veronica retorted, "Some day. When I'm in a nursing home," then she paused and shook her head, "Nooo, not even then. Sorry, you're stuck for life. It comes with the territory of being my BFF."

"What is it this time," Wallace sighed.

"Well, it seems one of your students has been spying on you," Veronica began.

"Spying? What?! Who's been spying?" he asked.

"Isabelle Berry," Veronica stated, "Sound familiar to you?"

"Yeah, I've got her third period," Wallace said thoughtfully, "So what connection has she got to you?"

"Found her in the stairwell of my apartment last night," Veronica responded.

"Say what?!" Wallace asked in surprise and confusion, "How's she even know who you are?"

"I met her the other day at a support group," Veronica explained, "But apparently she's heard you talking about me, too. She wants me to help her figure out what's going on with her dad."

Wallace groaned, "Seriously? I should have known." He shook his head a moment then asked, "What do you want me to do?"

"Do you know anything about her?" Veronica asked, leaning back against the wall.

"Not really. She's pretty new," he replied.

Veronica nodded, "Her dad's Navy. Transferred from overseas. Any chance you can keep an eye and an ear out for me?"

"Sure," Wallace said with a frown, "I guess I should look at her record anyway since she's new…"

"There's the BFF I know and love!" Veronica grinned.

"Yeah yeah, I gotta get back to class," Wallace grumbled.

"All right," Veronica said with a nod, then added, "Thanks, I - "

Before she could finish, Wallace said it with her, "owe you one."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Logan, Dick, and Nick were shooting hoops in the gym at the recreation center. With three of them, they couldn't really play a game but they did decide to play a round of P-I-G.

Dick lost fairly quickly and he watched in annoyance as things went back and forth between Logan and Nick. When he couldn't take it anymore, he said, "Dude, where's the bathroom? I need to take a leak and get a drink."

Logan directed him down the hall, around the corner and to the left. Dick was able to find it easily enough but when he finished, he decided to explore. Of course, after a few turns and a couple long corridors, he was having trouble finding his way back.

He was looking for someone who could give him directions when he heard some voices behind a closed door. He turned the knob and started to open it but then he stopped at what was being said.

"You can't do that, Joe. I swear, I'm doing my best."

"Your best isn't good enough, Berry. I'm gonna need more than that."

"What you need is gonna get me killed or at least sent to Gitmo!" came the protest from the man called Berry.

"That's your problem, not mine. Remember, you got yourself into this mess. If I didn't have something on you, you could have turned me in when you first found me out," the other man mocked.

Dick silently closed the door again, released the handle, and backed away. He had no idea what he'd just heard, but as far as he was concerned, he'd just found more proof that the Navy was full of pretentious pricks and should not be a place for Logan.


	9. Chapter 9

"Dude, I'm outta here," Dick said as soon as he finally found his way back to the gym and Logan, Nick having already left. "You Navy guys are total assholes."

"What's the problem, Dick?" Logan asked without really thinking that anything would be wrong. He was used to Dick's attitude about all things Navy by now.

"This place is fucked up, man," Dick said with disgust as he shook his head, picked up the small duffle he'd brought and headed for the door.

Logan grabbed his own things and jogged after. He caught up to Dick just outside the door that led to the parking lot. '_This must be more serious than I thought.' _

Fortunately for Logan, Dick stopped of his own accord and turned to face his friend, annoyance on his face. "The whole lot of you are fucking back-stabbers, aren't you? I didn't think you'd ever be like that, dude, but now I'm not so sure."

Alarmed, Logan stopped in his tracks, dropped his bag, and grabbed Dick by both arms. His tone was hushed but urgent when he spoke, glancing around subtlely to make sure no one else was around, "What do you mean back-stabbing? What did you hear, Dick?"

"Just some dudes," Dick answered with a shake of his head.

"What. Did. They. Say?" Logan asked, his patience with Dick waning quickly as a knot tightened in his gut.

Dick gave Logan an odd look then shrugged, "Whatever. One dude was fleecing the other. Like total blackmail, man."

"Do you remember names?" Logan was alert and Dick looked at him warily.

"Maybe. Why?" Dick frowned.

Exasperated, Logan responded, "If I tell you while we're in the car, will you tell me who and what you heard?"

Dick rolled his eyes, opened the car door, and shrugged. "Whatever, dude."

Once they were on the highway, Logan glanced over at Dick and said, "Time to start talking."

"It was nothing, man," Dick shook his head, "Forget I said anything."

Logan blew out an annoyed breath, took a few moments to think about what he was about to do, then decided he had no choice. He frowned, got off at the next exit and pulled into the closest parking lot.

Hands gripping the steering wheel to the point that his knuckles were white, Logan looked at Dick and said, "This is serious. There's some major shit going down on the base. If you heard something that might help us figure things out, I need to know."

Dick was quiet for a minute before he answered, "Joe and Berry. That's all I got."

"Berry?" Logan questioned, the name throwing up red flags all over the place for him.

"Yeah, he was the one being threatened, I think," Dick explained.

"Shit," Logan commented under his breath as he shifted the car into gear again, "Ok, we need to go talk to Veronica. Can you answer her questions, dude? Please?"

The request caused Dick to groan and drop his head to his hands, "Seriously, bro?! You want me to chat it up with Ronnie?"

"Yes," Logan confirmed, "Look, it'll get her off your back for a while, ok? She may not even yell at you when we have dinner at your place."

"Gee, dude, I can only hope," Dick responded sarcastically.

"Hey, it's the best you're gonna get," Logan responded sharply, giving a dismissive shrug.

"Fine, whatever," Dick grumbled.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Veronica hovered over Mac's shoulder, her phone pressed to her ear, presumably talking to Wallace when Logan and Dick arrived. Logan plunked himself down on the couch to wait while Dick stood with his arms crossed, scowling.

Once her call ended, Veronica looked up at them and said blandly, "This is unexpected."

"Dick heard something I thought you would find interesting," Logan answered, matching her tone. He looked at his friend and said, "Tell her, Dick."

Dick rolled his eyes and grumbled something unintelligible under his breath. Then with a frown he reported, "I got lost and ended up wandering the halls. I heard some jerk threatening a guy named Berry."

Instantly alert, Veronica studied him closely, then she gave him the most respectful nod he'd ever received and she said intently, "I'm listening. What did this person have to say?"

"It sounded like…" Dick hesitated, his brow furrowed in thought, a feat that was absurd and unusual for him, "like blackmail. Like this dude had something on him."

"An affair, perhaps…" Veronica mumbled to herself.

"I don't know, dude - I mean, Ronnie. It kinda sorta sounded like something more serious."

Mac and Veronica exchanged a look which alerted Logan to the fact that they had perhaps found something a bit more ominous.

"What is it?" Logan asked, giving the two women a sharp and cutting look.

"We don't know anything for sure," Mac piped up in warning, "Just found some rumors about things suspected of having happened in the past with task force members in the Fifth."

"What kind of rumors?" Logan questioned as he stood and moved toward the desk so he could see anything that might be pulled up on the monitor.

Mac worried her lower lip and glanced with concern at Veronica.

In response, Veronica shrugged and sighed.

"Rumors that some of the officers were taking on a second family, marrying and procreating and everything," Veronica answered, nose wrinkled in disgust.

"WHY?" Dick reacted in horror. He couldn't imagine wanting one wife or kids, let alone going so far as to have a second. He'd been married once already for all of two seconds. As far as he was concerned, that was enough for him. That is, unless someone special came along...someone who was nothing like Ronnie.

Veronica snorted with laughter in response and shook her head, almost in agreement with Dick for once. "I have no idea."

Logan thought about it a minute and slowly started to nod, explaining as carefully as he could, "I imagine the secondary family would be made up of locals. That would make sense. The guys probably get used to living in their assignment and, well, the women in that part of the world tend to be, uhhh...pretty submissive."

A growl of annoyance emitted from Veronica's mouth, causing Logan to raise his hands as if in surrender. "Hey, I didn't mean it was something that I'd ever go for! Just that a lot of guys would."

"Dude, I could TOTALLY go for a subby chick!" Dick enthused.

Without warning, Veronica picked up the closest office supply and threw it at him.

Dick quickly covered his head for protection and protested, "HEY! That's not nice, Ronniekins! Especially not when I'm here doing you a fucking favor!"

For all of a moment, Veronica looked mildly repentant. Then, without so much as the tiniest of apologies, she looked back to Mac and asked, "How could we find out if Mr. Berry has one of these so-called secondary families?"

"I have no idea," Mac replied, her wide eyes speaking volumes about how out of her depth she was.

Logan moved back to sit on the arm of the couch, lost in thought. The entire group of them was silent and staring when Keith walked in.

He looked around and narrowed his eyes, taking in the scene before demanding, "What's going on around here? This many people with no noise? It's creepy."

"We're thinking, Dad," Veronica explained.

"About?" Keith questioned.

"The ways of the world and how it all works," she responded dryly.

He rolled his eyes and so did Logan. At times, it was almost comical how much alike they were.

"Sir," Logan began after clearing his throat, "Mr. Mars, we think that Commander Berry is being blackmailed. We're trying to figure out how to confirm our suspicions regarding what information the blackmailer has that he's holding over Berry's head. So far we've got nothing."

"What do you suspect?" Keith asked next.

"A secondary family somewhere close or related to his last assignment," Veronica answered.

Keith looked at his daughter thoughtfully for a moment. "Have you talked to his wife?"

The entire room collectively inhaled and groaned, the exception being Dick. Veronica smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand and asked herself rhetorically, "Why didn't I think of that?"

"You're off your game, Super-Ron," Dick snickered, "Maybe you should just give up."

She glared at him but Logan was quickly by her side and held her back. He gave Dick a warning glance which was promptly ignored.

"I mean, you're like, really rusty, right? Seriously, you should quit while you're ahead."

Through gritted teeth, Veronica said, "Let me at him. LET ME AT HIM!"

Logan held her back but said, "Dude, shut up. You say anything else, I'm letting her go."

Dick held his hands up but didn't really look concerned. "Fine. Whatevs. I'm outta here anyway."

"Um, dude? You didn't bring your car," Logan reminded him.

Under his breath, Dick cursed, "Shit."

Keith raised his brows but didn't comment. Instead, he simply wandered off. Then from the open office door they heard him call, "Yell if you need me!"

First kissing her forehead then squeezing her arms, Logan gave Veronica an affectionate smile and murmured in her ear, "I'm gonna get Dick out of your hair and let you do that thing you do so well."

A wicked grin started at the edges of Veronica's mouth and spread till it lit her entire face. She turned to Logan, giving him a knowing look and a peck on the lips.

He chuckled, his dark eyes lit with amusement. "You're a vixen. And a tease."

She laughed and gave him a quick hug before she let him go. Once he and Dick were gone, she turned to Mac and said, "Well, Q, it looks like we've got work to do. Let's boogie."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the Berry home. They parked in the driveway, opened the doors, and confidently strode to the front door. Before ringing the doorbell, they shared a look of excitement and anticipation. But it didn't last long. No one was home.

It took a minute and while she thought, she drummed her fingers on the frame of the door. Then an idea struck her and Veronica smirked at her cohort, saying in a conspiratorial tone, "I think I know what to do."

Mac raised her brows and waited while Veronica shook her head.

"Not now. I'll tell you in the car."


	10. Chapter 10

"Ok, so what are we doing?" Mac asked once they were back in the car.

"Well," Veronica responded as she turned the key in the ignition and backed out of the driveway, "We've got three options the way I figure it. We either talk to the daughter, which we've already done - at least to some extent. Or we track the missus down at her support group. Or…"

Mac glanced over at her friend, knowing that the third option was likely the one that would be the most outrageous and also probably the one Veronica was leaning towards. "Or?"

Grinning, her eyes sparkling with mirth, Veronica said, "Or we leave a sort of '_I know what you did last summer'_ type note on the door, figure out how to bug the place, and listen in as they lose their cool."

With a groan, Mac hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. "V, NO. We need to do this by the book, as straightforward as possible. No bugging the home of a naval officer!"

Veronica wrinkled her nose and scowled, "Fine then. I guess we go with Plan B. We stalk Sandra Berry and corner her at the support group."

"Are they meeting today?" Mac asked.

"Yep," Veronica confirmed, "And I even know where." She flashed a look of pure mischief at the girl seated beside her and winked, "Come on, Q. You know this is the shit we both live for!"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

They mingled with the best of them as they waited for everyone to arrive and for the meeting to begin. The problem was, by the time the group was ready to start, there was still no sign of Mrs. Berry.

"Where do you think she's at?" Mac whispered as she sat next to Veronica, an uncomfortable and reluctant part of the circle.

"No idea," Veronica whispered back, then suggested, "Maybe she's just running late?"

Something told her, though, that there was more going on.

"Oh, man," Mac complained, "You mean we're gonna have to stay even if she's a no-show?"

Thinking fast, Veronica mumbled, "Give it fifteen minutes. If she's not here, head to the bathroom and give me a call. I can make my excuses and claim an emergency. That should get us out of here."

Mac considered the plan for a moment and then nodded, "That should work."

The leader had started and she cleared her throat, looking at the pair in annoyance.

Sheepishly, Veronica gave a little wave and lifted a finger to her lips with a nod of acknowledgment. If their plan didn't work and Mrs. Berry didn't show, this would be a long-ass meeting.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

As Veronica had feared, Sandra Berry never graced them with her presence. However, just as she was about to nudge Mac to head to the bathroom, the topic turned to those who had recently been transferred from the Fifth Fleet to the Third.

Veronica's ears perked up and she touched Mac's arm to make sure she didn't move, giving her a look that said, '_This might be important.'_

Three middle-aged women along with their teenaged children took part in the brief conversation. A separate group had formed apparently, just for those who had been stationed in the Middle East. The idea was to bond if they hadn't already and be able to support each other in their transition back to the States. The odd thing was, however, that none of them seemed overly enthusiastic about the proposition.

Leaning over to whisper directly in Mac's ear, Veronica asked, "Look at those women. They're all reluctant. What do you think it means?"

Mac shrugged slightly and murmured under her breath, "Who knows? Maybe they're all like you and have no use for a support network."

Rolling her eyes and glaring in response, Veronica went back to studying the three women whose husbands had been previously assigned to the Fifth. There didn't appear to be anything remarkable about them but looks could always be deceiving.

They stayed until the meeting was over and then Veronica insisted that they approach each of the women separately. Their goal was to obtain any information they could about any task forces their husbands may have been involved in.

The first woman shut down and refused to look Veronica in the eye. The second became irate, accusing and threatening the investigative pair to the point that they nearly had to leave the building. The third, however, approached them cautiously just as they were about to go look for her.

"Excuse me," she said politely, a curious but guarded look in her dark eyes. "Weren't you speaking with Mrs. Berry the other day?"

Veronica hesitated only a moment before she nodded and said, "Yes. Are you a friend of hers?"

Nodding, the other woman replied, "Yes, I am. I'm not sure where she is today but I know her daughter is having a hard time adjusting and she's been worried." She stopped a moment, glancing around, then asked quietly, "Is there a reason you're interviewing all the women from the Fifth?"

Mac and Veronica shared a look before Veronica gave a brief nod. Before either of them could say a single word, the woman before them said earnestly, "Let's go outside."

Without hesitation, Mac and Veronica followed her out of the building, around the corner, and behind a small tool shed.

"We may or may not be safe here but it's better than inside," the woman explained before crossing her arms over her chest and asking pointedly, "Now, what is it that I can help you with?"

"We're investigating a potentially dangerous situation," Veronica stated, "I'm a PI and this is my assistant, Mac. We've been asked to look into some...rumors...about one or more former officers of the Fifth."

"Rumors?" the woman sounded both doubtful and alarmed, "Rumors about what?"

"Well," Veronica responded, giving Mac a look that asked if she was recording the conversation which Mac responded to with a single nod, "We've heard that there's the possibility that some of the officers on an undercover task force may have taken on second wives, had second families. Do you know if there's any truth to that?"

The woman stood stock still and silent. Finally, her eyes hardened and she said, "You need to back off. You're in over your heads. Nothing about the Fifth or any of its task forces is a civilian matter."

"We're only trying to - " Mac began but she was cut off when the woman shook her head and spoke sharply.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away. You wouldn't want to get hurt."

Veronica started to speak, to ask more questions, but without warning, the woman turned on her heel and disappeared.

"Well, that went well," Mac said sarcastically.

"Uh huh," Veronica responded in kind, her calculating stare both bold and determined. "We'll just see about that."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A couple hours later, Mac and Veronica were back at the Berrys'. The house was still empty but this time they were armed with paper and pen.

Veronica had just finished scripting their note and was about to tack it to the door when a car pulled up and a man leaped out, storming up to her angrily.

"What do you think you're doing? Who are you? You have no business at my house!"

Slowly, Veronica turned. It was Commander Berry.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said sweetly, a hint of her Amber voice coming through, "I met your wife at a support group. She'd told me I should stop and see her. When I saw that no one was home, I figured I'd just leave her a note."

The man seemed frazzled and out of sorts. Veronica caught sight of Mac out of the corner of her eye, still sitting in the car and did her best to signal that she should stay there.

"Are you ok?" Veronica asked, making sure her tone reflected concern, "You seem rather upset."

"I'm fine," the Commander said gruffly although his words were anything but convincing and Veronica decided to take advantage of it.

"Do you need me to call your wife? Or is there something I could do?"

"No," Commander Berry said curtly, then added with just the slightest bit of apology in his voice, "I just have a lot on my mind."

"I understand," Veronica nodded and smiled at him soothingly, "Is this about your daughter? I met her the other day."

Berry snorted and his features hardened. He wouldn't be giving away a thing.

"Who did you say you are again?"

"An acquaintance of your wife. From support group," Veronica responded, stepping back and away.

Frowning, Berry's eyes narrowed, but then he dismissed her without another word. He moved around her to get to the mail and removed a key from his pocket as if he were about to open the door.

"Is there something you needed?" He asked irritably, hesitating rather than putting the key in the lock.

"No no," Veronica assured him, then stepped forward again with a smile and changed it to, "Well, yes, actually. Would you mind giving this note to your wife? I'd really like to speak with her as soon as possible."

She held out the note to him and he stared at it, debating. After several long moments, he took it. "All right, I'll get it to her but don't count on getting a response. And don't expect her at that damn support group again. We've got far too much going on for such silliness."

"Understood," Veronica nodded. "Thanks!"

When she turned to head to the car, she heard the door open and close again, the deadbolt sounding as it clicked into place from the inside. Sliding into the car beside Mac, she looked at her friend and sighed, "This job is in no way, shape, or form going to be easy."

Mac shrugged and grinned. "It never really is."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

That night as Logan and Veronica were snuggled in bed, Veronica told him about all that had happened.

He brushed his fingers through her hair as she spoke and then placed a kiss on her forehead and looked down at her with concern.

"The lady from the group. Do you think she was serious?" he asked.

"I don't know," Veronica admitted with a shrug.

"Maybe it's time to set this aside, Veronica," Logan suggested, knowing it would never happen. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"And what about Nick?" she argued, just as he knew she would, "I'll be as careful as I can, Logan. I'm keeping you up to date and I've even asked for help from my dad. This isn't just gonna go away. Someone has to figure this thing out. Why shouldn't it be me?"

He sighed and murmured softly, "Because, bobcat, some things are beyond even you."

Her temper flared and she punched him in the shoulder before giving him a shove away. "It's not beyond me yet," she insisted.

Holding up his hands, he did what he always knew he would. He gave in. "Fine. But will you tell me if and when it does?"

Now it was her turn to hesitate. She frowned as she considered. Then she sighed and shook her head. "I will if I can, but Logan, you know things can escalate quickly. Just be available, ok? And know that I'll do whatever I have to in order to stay safe."

Those words from her caused him to wince. Instead of arguing further, though, he pulled her in close again and kissed her. "I love you. And I lived without you long enough. Don't make me do it again, ok?"

She smiled, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him back before she agreed. "Okay."


End file.
